Smiling example goes beyond a cup of coffee

Can you imagine the shock when we realized the server from the front counter of the restaurant had walked next door to purchase the cup of coffee my husband requested?

by Myra Mansfield/Special to The Oak Ridger

Can you imagine the shock when we realized the server from the front counter of the restaurant had walked next door to purchase the cup of coffee my husband requested? They don’t sell coffee where we sat down for a much-needed break from driving, and the pretty teen-aged girl would get off work as soon as she finished serving our order.

The week had been a little crazy already.

I left Oak Ridge on Tuesday afternoon to make the seven-hour trip from Tennessee to Alabama to await the arrival of my second granddaughter. The next day we discovered that just down the road from their home, a man had abducted a 5-year-old boy from a school bus after he killed the bus driver. He took the child into an underground bunker where he stayed for the next six days. We watched on TV with everyone else in the nation, finding the roads crowded with law enforcement and TV cameras every time we drove by.

My daughter and I only had two days together before Jack called from back home to tell me his uncle had passed away. The family had been expecting it, and this was important. The uncle, who was the last living sibling of Jack's father, lived in Florida and the family asked Jack to come down and speak at the funeral. He couldn't say no, so on Friday Jack duplicated my seven-hour trip to join me in Alabama; and then, about 3 a.m. Saturday, we set out for southern Florida. It was another seven-hour drive, but we made it in time.

Jack spoke of happy memories and reminded those attending the funeral of meaningful aspects of life and death. The family was comforted by his presence; but because my daughter could go into labor at any time, I was determined we would make the trip back to her house on the same day — and I would do the driving.

So after we shared a meal with the family, we set off toward Alabama once again. We were back in the Florida panhandle when we decided to stop for a break at the Taco Bell in Live Oak, Fla.

You know the way it goes, you ALWAYS want coffee when you're driving a long distance. So we approached the counter and ordered some food … and coffee. The girl was extremely apologetic that they don't sell coffee and even offered to go next door and buy some! I insisted that it wasn't THAT important and we ordered a soft drink instead. We sat down to wait on our order to be ready … not paying attention to anything around us.

It all happened so fast and our food wasn't even ready yet. The young lady approached our table and set down a cup of coffee from the Krystal. She said, “I hope it's OK; I brought you Splenda and cream.” Jack and I looked up to find the young lady timidly smiling at us. We looked at each other in amazement, realizing what she’d done. She wouldn't even let us pay her for it — “We care about our customers,” she said. As she turned and walked toward the door to go home, I watched her bid farewell to a nice looking African American woman who had taken her place behind the counter.

For the next 10 minutes, as we ate our dinner, I watched the African American woman as she served her customers. She was smiling the biggest smile I've ever seen on a fast-food restaurant employee. This extremely happy woman was peaking my interest to the max.

“Are you the manager?” I asked, as she came into the dining room and passed close enough to our table so she could hear me. “Yes, I am,” she confirmed.

“I can't tell you how amazed we are at the service we received from that young lady,” I said, making sure a compliment was made for such extraordinary service.

“Well, as a matter of fact, we have the award for being the best Taco Bell in the country.” At this, she pointed back over to the front counter to a sign on the wall which read just what she told me.

After a few more minutes, I approached the front counter and cautiously asked: “Would it be OK for me to write an article about your store and the amazing service you've given us?” Her smile never weakened.

“Sure,” she said, reaching under the counter for a piece of paper. “Please send a copy to our corporate offices.”

“I'd be happy to. We are traveling, and I've never had service like this in my entire life.”

“Where are you from?” she asked. “We are from Tennessee,” I shared.

“I'm from Tennessee, too — from the Nashville area. What kind of writing do you do?”

“I usually write faith-related articles. Are you a woman of faith?” There. I'd asked the question I most wanted to know.

“Yes I am. That's what makes us want to be the best store.” She went on to explain a little more about her career, and then she added something even more important than the coffee.

“I treat my employees like they are my kids, and I teach them the things about having a job that are truly important.” She turned to introduce me to the teenaged young man sweeping the floor behind her. “This is Jonathan,” she offered. Without waiting for her turn, another young lady walked over and introduced herself … grinning from ear to ear and proud to be a part of this amazing team.

I cannot describe the feeling that warmed my heart. I can remember the haphazard service I often receive at a business, and I also know many young people who lack this kind of positive affirmation. It comes few and far between to find such excellent business practices anywhere, let alone at a small fast-food restaurant in Live Oak, Fla.! I knew that this was a special place, and that this woman was making an eternal difference in these young people's lives, both in teaching them important work ethics and also by increasing a sense of value in their lives.

It was real; it wasn't just a server trying to earn a good tip from me. It was motivated by integrity and the personal rewards of doing good to others.

It was hard to break away. Having a management degree myself, I wanted to stay and find out more about her methods; but it just didn't seem like the right thing to do. I knew I needed to simply appreciate I had the random privilege of stopping at this seemingly unimportant restaurant only to find one of the best experiences I have ever had.

My point is that there are many clichés in the world. There even is a popular one about random acts of kindness. There is another one for Christians that goes “Preach the Gospel and, if necessary, use words.”

But what I saw in this place was the positive influence one person can have on impressionable young lives while being a huge blessing during incidental situations all at the same time. This lady has true joy — a joy that makes your cheeks hurt from smiling so much. It was contagious to all who met her.

So whether you are a person of faith or not, let me challenge you to take more pride in your work. Think about how other people perceive you. Share more positive affirmation with our community's young people … and the older ones, too. It's not that hard to think of something good to say or to do for someone else.